2 Forgotten Wishes
by ReneeLouvier
Summary: Sara and Scooter are trying to get to know each other better, and Uncle Deadly is absolutely hating every single minute of it. Through personal loss, Scooter and Sara end up bring brought together closer though it all. 2nd Story in Sadie's Stories


**Prologue**

The plans were being made. Papers written, dresses chosen. Sets designed. You thought this was for their wedding, didn't you? It isn't. It's their plans for the Winter Splendor show. They were hoping it would be a large, grand thing that would wow and amaze everyone that came to it.

Everyone was rushing about, getting the sets painted, the costumes fixed. It was a maddening time. And the entire time, Sara and Scooter couldn't keep away from each other. They were always talking about this and that, making their own plans, and trying to keep up with Kermit's.

The old phantom was getting more and more sour with each passing day. He felt something strange in the air, so much love. It made him sick. He just wished sometimes, they would leave the theatre, as he couldn't.

-------------------------

"They're always making silly faces to each other...ugh." Deadly stated one day, while standing beside Kermit.

"They're getting married after the show, Uncle Deadly. Why wouldn't they?" He said, not really paying attention to the old ghoul. He was checking the colors of the sets against the stage's lighting. "Try another color, Beau!"

"Okay, Kermit!" The bumbling janitor yelled back, as he switched out the color of the set from a pale green to a pale blue. Then Clifford switched the main light on once more.

"That still dosn't look right...try the orange one!" He said, while sitting out in the third row of seats, frowning. "I wonder why everything's so pale up there. It is supposed to be a winter show, but nothing looks right at all..."

All of a sudden there was a yell downstage, someone had fallen through a hole in the stage. Kermit sat straight up, and watched as Beauregard dropped the set suddenly and ran to where the hole now was in the stage.

"Good grief!" Sara yelled from within the hole.

"Are you okay, Sara?" Scooter said to her, as he laid down on the stage. The hole was nearly 8 feet deep, it went all the way down to the concrete foundation.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Didn't hurt anything..." She said, then mumbled to herself. "Cept my pride..."

"What was that?" He asked her, as Beauregard was also leaning down on the stage now, and Kermit was standing up behind them both.

"Nothing! Just someone help me out of here! Please!" She yelled up at them, then saw Beau's mop handle, and she grabbed onto it.

"Hold on!" He said, as he yanked upwards on the mop, pulling her upwards out of the hole.

Sara was pulled out of the hole, and she huffed softly, looking back down into the hole she was in only moments before. Scooter grabbed her and gave her a hug, he was worried about her. Then he started to look at her legs, checking to see if she had broken anything during the fall.

"I'm fine, hun...let's go tell someone they need to fix the stage.." Sara then stood up, and started to walk backstage with Scooter. He never left her side during that night.

It made Uncle Deadly angry to his core. He felt like grabbing them both, and hurling them to the streets. He wished they would leave his theatre, and keep their love lifes to themselves.

He shook his head, as he walked back to his room in the back of the theatre. An old picture on the desk was mocking him, and he threw that picture into his desk drawer. He frowned, knowing their love was true.

He scowled again, when he heard Miss Piggy gushing over how the two were acting. He wished they would leave.

**Chapter One**

"Oh, do you think this costume would look good on me, darling? Or this one? I really need another woman's opinion you know." Miss Piggy asked of Sara, as she held up two different costumes to herself.

'Anything looks good on you Miss Piggy, you certainly paid for it...' Sara thought, smiling mindlessly at Miss Piggy. "Yeah. They're great.." She finally said.

"Well? Which one looks great?" Piggy asked again, staring Sara down a little bit this time. "Which one should I wear for the show?"

"I don't know...I just...oh the blue one will match your eyes, Miss Piggy. I've got a lot of work to do!" Sara said, adjusting her glasses a bit, and turning back to Scooter's clipboard which was in her hands then.

"Oh, thank you! Why do you have Scooter's clipboard?"

"Because I'm using it, to make plans, and to draw out the sets..." Sara finally said, a little frustrated. "Go bother your 'Kermie', would you?"

Piggy huffed, and sauntered off, striding her way down from the backstage area, up into the main aisle where Kermit stood talking with Scooter. She got near the two men, and was muttering to herself, shaking her head.

"Scooter!" She yelled, getting nearer to the men. "Oh, Scooter! Might I have a word with vous?" She said as sweetly as possible. Scooter walked over to her, a bright smile on his face.

"Yes, Miss Piggy? What is it?" He asked her, still smiling.

"You'd better tell your wife-to-be that she needs to clean her mouth up!" She said haughtily to him, frowning deeply. "She was just so rude to me before! I was merely asking her what type of dress does she think I should wear, you know another woman's thoughts on it...and she snapped at me and said I should go bother my Kermie!" Piggy finally finished, and it looked like she was near tears, even though she really wasn't.

Scooter frowned a little, listening to Miss Piggy whine a little about how Sara was acting. 'This isnt' really like Sara to be so blunt...this could just be Miss Piggy vying for attention, I mean we're all so busy anyways...' He stopped his train of thought when he felt Miss Piggy's hands on his shoulders.

"SCOOTER! Stop daydreaming about her, and go tell her that!" Miss Piggy yelled at him.

"What? Tell her what, Miss Piggy!"

"That she shouldn't have been so rude to moi!" She said, flipping her hair back with a simple flick of her head.

"Fine, fine. I'll go talk to Sara." He said, begrudingly. As soon as he got out of earshot, he said aloud. "God help Kermit if ever gets around to marrying her..." He saw Sara pacing around down in backstage area, keeping an eye on most of the other muppets while writing stuff down on the clipboard.

"Come on, Animal! Your drums are for BEATING not EATING!" Sara yelled at Animal, as he attempted to eat his 2nd set of drums that night.

"Hey, honey?" Scooter said, smiling. Sara turned so suddenly that Scooter almost had to duck for her arm, as she grabbed the side of the doorframe to steady herself, as Thog came shuffling through the backstage area all of a sudden.

"Sorry about that, Ms. Vines." Thog said, as he gently grabbed ahold of her around her waist, and got her steady. "I've got to hurry, so I can practice."

"Right, Thog...just be careful okay?" Sara said, nearly panting, as she was lifted nearly 3 feet off of the ground by Thog just seconds before.

"I will Ms. Vines." He said, as he shuffled off to the stage.

"You okay?" Scooter said, as she made her way to the records room. He followed her inside and they shut the door. "You're not okay, are you?"

"Nearly got eaten by Behemoth...Sweetums decided he'd practice dancing with me...then I got knocked over and also lifted up 3 feet into the air by Thog. I've been the target of the monsters tonight. No, I'm not okay. But I guess I've got to get used to this." She said finally as she sat down on the floor, on a pile of cloth set covers in the corner.

"Miss Piggy said you were rude to her." He said with a slight smirk.

"Oh, I've disturbed the mighty pig diva! God save me..." Sara said that, then started laughing. "She just up and decided to ask me about her stupid dress choice. She said she needed a woman's opinion on it. Pfft. Go ask Janice, or someone else, not me. I'm not a good choice on clothes anyways."

"I think you have great choice in clothes." Scooter said, smiling.

"Well thank you. I think old ghost though is getting ticked off at all the commotion in the theatre lately." Sara said, a little absentmindly. "He's so on edge. But I guess anyone would be if they had to be trapped in this theatre day in and day out."

"Yeah, I guess they would..." Scooter said, thinking for a moment about that. Then he let that thought drift away in his mind, as he sat beside Sara, the both of them trying to relax in the room.

--------------------------

"What's gotten into you Uncle Deadly? We really need you for the Winter Show.." Kermit said, nearly pleading with the old ghoul over his position in the show.

"I told you I won't do that, frog. A pitiful part for a trained actor such as I!" Uncle Deadly said quite dramatically, nearly throwing the papers back at Kermit.

"It's not a hard song you know...and it's good and dreadfully dark. It's perfect for you! Plus all the other monsters would be singing backup! It'd be just like when Vincent Price was on the show you know!" Kermit stated then, he was ready to beg Uncle Deadly to stay then, he couldnt' think of anyone else to do this number that they needed to do.

"Frog. I will do what I wish to do, and you cannot say anything else that will change my mind elsewhere!" Deadly boomed, hissing in Kermit's face, his darkened eyes narrowed to near slits then. Kermit stood up and frowned deeply, scrunching his face up at Deadly.

"If you feel that way...I'll just get Fozzie to do this number!" Kermit yelled at Deadly.

"THAT BEAR! He could NEVER do the preformance correctly! This is Shakespearian theatre! Not some half-wit lunchtime comedy act!" Deadly grabbed the papers up once more, and glanced over them again. "I'll do it! So long as that bear is miles away from ever doing this act."

"I'll make sure of it, Uncle Deadly." The crafty frog said with a sweet smile on his clever face. "Thanks for changing your mind about it."

"Glad to help you, Kermit." The phantom replied back to him, smiling as well. "Anything to keep that bear from messing up classics such as this."

**Chapter Two**

Uncle Deadly trudged back to his own room, and he overheard the two talking in the records room, and he frowned; shaking his head slightly. Making his way past the boxes, and the set pieces, the old backdrops and the furniture...he finally got to his old room across from the boiler room.

"Ah...my little frightful escape away from those others..." He sighed, as he settled into the creaky old desk chair. He stopped short, of grabbing an old weathered copy of 'Much Ado About Nothing' when he felt a chilling presence in the room, that wasn't his own.

"Hello, Deadly..." A soft voice said, from within the room. "I take it your doing well these days?"

Deadly turned slightly in the chair to see a man, clothed completely in black, even his face was hidden by the shadows. "What are you doing back, you demon of death?"

"Just a visit, old friend." The man said, he slowly shifted to a formless shadow, his voice becoming higher by the moment. "Just wanted to say hello...and for your friend to watch out..." Then the shadowed man that had become a spirited shadow was gone, without a trace.

Uncle Deadly frowned again, turning his attention back to the book he was about to pick up once more, devoiding his mind of what he had just seen. Turning the old weathered pages he shook his head softly.

"Can't believe that old thing is still allowed to walk this plane, after all he's tried to do..." He quieted himself, and shut out the noises of everything else, while he started to enjoy the play "Much Ado About Nothing".

-------------------------------

"Oh Kermie!" Piggy squealed, as she ran up to him quickly. "Kermie, Kermie!"

"What is it Piggy?" He asked her, somewhere between being annoyed and worried with her now. "What's gone wrong now?"

"I can't find Sara anywhere! She was supposed to fix a hem in my dress!" She said, frowning; her blue eyes glinting harshly in her evident anger.

Kermit stopped what he was doing and turned slowly to Miss Piggy. His mind was churning when she said that. "Um...why don't you just get Hilda to repair your dress? She is the seamstress here you know." He frowned softly. "I don't even know if Sara can do stuff like that."

"Hilda? Humph. I'd rather have Sara work on it!" She said huffing softly. "It would get her mind off of that gofer for a little while anyways.." She said softly.

"Miss Piggy! Why would you even say something like that! They're not doing anything inapproiate, and you know that!" Kermit scrunched his face at her, and sighed. "Sheesh. I'm starting to think you're getting jealous of them."

"Moi? Jealous!" Flinging her hair back, she turned away from Kermit, starting to sniffle a little, pretending she was very hurt by what he said to her. "I am not jealous, Kermie...I...I just..." She let her sentence trail off, as she kept on sniffling, and she pulled out a small hankerchief and dabbed her eyes softly, waiting for Kermit to comfort her, like she wanted just then.

"Piggy. I don't have time for your dramatics tonight. We've got to get these sets ready, and the songs finished as well. You know we don't have time to mess around with silly stuff like this." Kermit said, frowning directly at her backside, without even trying to comfort her.

She whipped around at him quickly, blue fire blazing in her eyes. "I'm your girlfriend, arn't I?"

Kermit backed up nearly a half foot when he saw that old too familar sight in her eyes. He stammered a few times, and smiled a soft smile. "Uh...um...oh dear.."

"ARN'T I YOUR GIRLFRIEND, KERMIT?" She yelled again, getting right in his face then.

Gonzo and Fozzie were watching from up on the stage, and Clifford came and sat down beside them. Clifford was chuckling.

"Five bucks." Clifford said, flashing a five dollar bill in front of Gonzo quickly. "Five bucks, says she karate chops him across the room."

"Eh, I say ten bucks, and she karate chops him then drop kicks 'em." The weirdo said, not taking his eyes off of Kermit and Piggy. "What happens if she just drops kicks him?"

Clifford looked over at Fozzie, who had a worried expression on his face. "Hm...the bear gets it all."

"Sounds good, Clifford. Bets on." Gonzo said smiling, as he set his ten dollar bill on the stage on top of Clifford's five. Fozzie looked over at them, and frowned.

"Shame on you two! Shame...you're betting on them?" He said, frowning at the both of them.

Clifford shrugged his shoulders softly, watching as Piggy and Kermit were still arguing about it. "It's the same thing every time, so it just makes it more fun I guess. Plus it's not like we forget about them when it's over, right Gonzo?"

"Yeah, we always go make sure Kermit's okay." He said, smiling at him. "Plus, Fozzie...if Piggy just karate chops him, you're up to making fifteen easy bucks."

"I guess...as long as we all make sure he's okay." He said a small smile coming across his face. "But what about Piggy?"

Clifford laughed a little bit. "Unless she somehow got hurt too, we dont' go near her, unless we don't wanna walk straight for the next week!" He laughed again, as he went back to watching them.

--------------------------

"Piggy!" Kermit shouted at her, getting more and more frustrated by the moment. "I don't mean it like that! You know how I feel about you!"

Piggy was already storming off towards the backstage left, a place that nobody really ever went too. It housed the extra props and costumes. She turned smartly on her heels and glared at him. Shaking her head, she huffed, looking away from him.

"You didnt' mean it when you said 'In a pig's eye that's when we'll get married?'" She said somewhat softly, still not looking at him.

Kermit got a little worried, when her tone dropped like that, and became softer...if she was that far away, something was bound to happen to him, he could feel it in his froggy heart. His legs told him to hop away, it was danger that was coming towards him.

"I...I meant...uh, you're a pig right?" He asked cautiously, keeping his eyes on her hands and on her feet. It wasn't an easy task, but over the years he'd learned to do it somehow.

"Yes, I am of the porcine affilation." She said loftily, looking down at him over her snout with her piercing baby blues. "What about it, Kermie?"

"Well...when I said 'In a pig's eye, that's when we'll get married'...I meant when I see...in...your eyes..." He was grasping for words now, trying to make it all better, without himself getting hurt. He didn't feel like being sent across the room that day.

"Yesss?" She asked, getting closer to him, the fire jumping up once more. 'One wrong word, frog, and you're saying hello to the back wall today...' Her mind raced, wondering what he would say to her now.

"When I see that special look in your eyes...pig's eyes, mind you...that's when we'll get married!" He said the end quite happily, trying to hide that he was scared to death over what she was capable of doing to him.

Piggy frowned a little bit, then grabbed him up in a tight, crushing hug. "Oh KERMIE! Vous really does love me!" She hugged him tightly, then whispered to him. "Try any funny stuff like that again, and I will send you across this room, got it?"

"Eep! Got it, Piggy!" He gulped, looking up at her. She suddenly planted a huge kiss, right on his lips, while everyone else was watching. By this time, no one had been working and were watching them.

-------------------------

"What happens now, Clifford? She didn't do a thing to him!" Gonzo stated, they never thought Kermit could pull himself out of it like that.

"Rat wins then!" Rizzo stated happily, as he grabbed the fifteen dollars from the stage's floor and started to walk away, until Clifford picked him up by his tail. "HEY! HEY PUT ME DOWN!"

"What are you doing, Rizzo?" Clifford asked, narrowing his eyes at the rat. "Gimme that money! That five goes to me, and the ten back to Gonzo. It ain't your's."

"I thought we had agreed, whenever you guys are betting on them, if they don't do anything you guys stated, I get the money by default. I'm the wildcard in these types a' bets!"

"He's right, Clifford." Gonzo said, smirking a little. He didn't mind losing a ten to Rizzo, he was after all his roomie anyways.

"Fine, keep it. Can't believe we agreed to that rule, you rat." Clifford said, halfway growling then. He didnt' like losing bets like that at all.

"Well, Mr. Dreadlocks, you'll learn better next time!" Rizzo said, and sauntered off, holding the ten and the five in his small hands.

"We're always losing to that rat, Gonzo." Clifford said, while standing up. "I've gotta go change that stupid light again."

"Yeah, I know." Gonzo said, smirking a little bit. "That light still giving you trouble?"

"It always is! I don't think that thing is EVER gonna get fixed, man!" He said, with a final sneer up towards the lighting rigs.

**Chapter Three**

Soft laughter filled the back room, as one certain ghoul was finishing up Shakespeare's comedy. He set the book down and smiled a little. "Now the Bard knew good comedy when he saw it!" He stated, to himself in that dusty, empty room. "Maybe the bear should read some of the bard, that might help that pitiful comedy act of his.."

He started to walk out of his room, when he heard some other soft laughter. Glancing down the hall, he frowned a little. He wondered why people were still here, when it was nearly midnight. He made his way, further down the long, straight as an arrow passageway, and then had to step over some of the set pieces that were so carelessly strewn about.

"Who is in this theatre? Show yourselves!" He yelled mencaingly, his dragon head whipping from side to side, getting a good perspective on his surroundings.

"It's just me, Robin and Scooter; Uncle Deadly! It's okay!" Sara yelled from the top of the hall, where the backstage right area was located. Deadly frowned even deeper and emerged from the darkened hall.

The only lights on in the theatre, was two lamplights. Scooter was sitting up on Kermit's desk, with Robin beside him and Sara was lounging in one of the heckler's victorian armchairs, her legs over one side of it. It was a cozy sight, one that made Deadly's skin crawl. He wasn't partial to these comforting times, it irked him so much. He walked over to them, and laid a hand on Sara's shoulder, he felt her shiver under his icy touch, and he looked down at her face, which was silent, and expressionless then.

Sara didn't move, but instead locked eyes with the old ghostly dragon, who stared at her, with contempt clearly visible within his own expression. She smiled, and laughed softly looking up at the dragon, who huffed softly. She could smell his breath he was so close to her.

"What is the matter with you, Uncle Deadly?" Sara asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

He said nothing. It was a soul-crushing silence that filled the theatre once more. Scooter shifted off of the desk, and walked over to Deadly. He looked over at him, a frown starting to cross his face. Deadly looked away from Scooter, he couldn't meet his gaze; which normally wasn't a problem for him. But deep in his soul, that part of him that had been missing ever since he was dead...his heart...it ached.

"Something's wrong...what is it?" Scooter asked, looking concerned towards Deadly now. "What's troubling you?"

"What's troubling me?" He glared over at Scooter hard now, finally meeting his gaze. "It's you and...what's her name?" He pointed to Sara, frowning deeply now.

"Her name is Sara. And what do either of us have to do with your being troubled?" He asked, getting a touch angry now, he was now sitting on the arm of the chair that Sara was in.

"I think I know why, gofer." Sara said, smirking softly. "He's jealous of us. Arn't you Uncle Deadly?"

When she asked that, it seemed like the fog around Deadly dissapated into nothingness. His golden yellow eyes were finally clear, he knew why he had been angry. It wasn't them, directly. But rather...someone else.

"Eleanor..." Deadly whispered, looking past them to the wall. He stopped cold in his tracks, mentally and physically. "I...I've got to go check up on...something..."

With that, Deadly walked back to his room in a fog of sorts, his mind far away from where he was now. He wished he could erase those memories, but they were too painful for him to think of.

**Chapter Four**

Scooter was asleep in Sara's lap, and Robin in his. The entire theatre was dark, with a slim beam of the morning's sunlight peeking through a window high above them. The light shone gently through the backstage area, it was soft, and made the place seem heavenly almost. They were angels, napping in the early sunlight, of a beautiful new morn.

Deadly, on the other hand; sat in the waning darkness, his hands clasped tightly together. He watched them closely, and he wondered why they stayed so long after everyone else had gone home. Also why Kermit wasn't bursting into the theatre, to find out where his nephew was. His gaze shifted from them, to the theatres door, which was opening quickly with a slam. He stood up, and watched as most of the muppets spilled into the theatre, quickly going down the aisles. Kermit was at the head of them.

"ROBIN!" He yelled, anger evident on his face. Piggy, for once in her life, was trying to calm him down, so he would stop yelling.

"Oh, Kermie. Because he's here, he's safe, and you know it!" She said, halfway pleading, halfway threatening him to stop. "Please, stop shouting!"

"I can't BELIEVE Robin left in the middle of the night, without even telling me Piggy! He's only 5 years old!" Kermit was fuming then, as he was striding into the backstage area, he was about to yell, when he saw the portrait that lay in front of him.

Robin was curled up, nestled in Sara's chest, and Sara had been laying in Scooter's lap, although now he was laying beside Sara, instead of sitting up. All of them were still asleep, and Fozzie smiled when he saw the Scooter had his arms around Sara, protecting her, and that Sara had a hand gently on Robin, protecting him. Kermit's anger dissapated when he saw that they were trying to be safe, and he even smiled when he saw Deadly, watching over them.

"Thanks, Uncle Deadly." Kermit said softly. Deadly frowned, and started to walk back towards his room. "Deadly? Where are you going?"

"Back to my room, frog. Too much...kindness to deal with. I perfer the darkness to this anyways." He said, frowning still quite deeply.

Robin was beside Sara, curled up on her shoulder, snoozing softly. Fozzie reached forward and tried to pat Scooter awake, and he just mumbled and turned over, and ended up with his nose between Sara's breasts. Clifford started snickering a little bit, and Fozzie just blushed seeing that.

"Scooter!" He said urgently, patting Scooter once more on the back, while pulling him away from Sara. He didn't realize this, he thought Sara was his pillow, and he did not want to get up for anything.

Sara felt hot breath against her, and she softly opened her eyes, and looked down. She knew Robin had fallen asleep at her chest, but when she saw the shock of red dreaded hair, she instantly went red in the cheeks.

"Oh my..." She whispered, her face hot and red then. She shifted a little, causing Scooter's head to slowly go from between her chest, to the floor itself. He woke then, and looked over, and he noticed Sara's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, still quite sleepy.

"I can't believe you..." Sara said with a smirk. "You...your face was..." She stammered, her cheeks getting more hot, and her face became flushed. "Robin was here with us, and you had your face here!" Sara was finally able to get out, and she placed her hand where his face had been only moments before. He instantly went a deep shade of red too. Robin woke up, and quietly walked over to his Uncle, watching them with a small smile on his face.

"I...I'm sorry!" Scooter looked to be out of breath just then. "Wow..um...I guess I thought...you were my...pillow." He said with an incredelous look on his face. Clifford was on his butt, screaming with laughter, Pepe and Rizzo were right beside him roaring loudly, the sound was almost deafening.

"Yeah, she was definately yo' pillow man!" Clifford yelled out, between fits of his rolling laughter. Scooter looked away from his friends, his face wasn't even orange anymore, it was nearly completely red, from his eyes to his chin. He was blushing SO hard, he looked like he was going to pass out almost.

"Scooter...it isn't that bad." Sara said softly, then she blinked a couple of times, and put on her own glasses, her eyes flew open, seeing just how red he was, and that he looked to be having a bit of trouble. Without another word, she reached forward, and unbuttoned his jacket taking it off of him. She then started to pull his shirt off as well, working quickly and efficently.

"Woah, woah, woah! We got kids in here, ya know!" Rizzo interjected, running up between the two. Sara didn't look at him, as she even started to quickly undo Scooter's belt just a little bit, so he could breathe easier.

"Move it rat, or you're going to be across the room. He's having trouble breathing and he's overheating for some reason. Someone get me a fan, NOW." Sara said, as she grabbed a magazine and started to wave it towards Scooter, making a gentle breeze. She looked at him, concern etching her face. "Sweetie, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"I...I don't know...I just...I can't breathe!" He panted out, turning his head slightly, to try to get cooled off, and to get more air moving. He was hot to the touch, and was actually starting to sweat some now, he finally took a few deep breaths, and was calming down once more.

"Just take deep breaths, slow deep breaths. This has happened to Lisa once before...just slow, deep breaths." Sara was softly rubbing his shoulders as he was trying to take deep breaths like she said. Gonzo set the fan beside them, and turned it on; the cool breeze washing over them gently. Piggy brought over a small plastic tub with ice cold water, and a washcloth, she kneeled down and wrung out the washcloth, placing the icy cloth to his forehead.

"Does that help, Scooter?" Piggy asked softly, watching with a worried expression. "Has this ever happened before?"

Scooter couldn't answer, he was just trying to keep himself calmed down and trying to get cooled off. Sara frowned, and dipped her hand in the water. She took her wet, icy hand, and started to gently rub his shoulders again, keeping him cooled off.

"Ever since he got back from the swamps, he's been telling me that he's been out of breath every now and again. His chest has been hurting. Or he's said he felt like he was going to pass out." She gave him a gentle kiss, as he started to lean back across her, now trying to relax. "You okay honey?"

Scooter nodded, and closed his eyes for a moment. His breathing was finally regulated and he coughed a couple of times. "I've just not been...up to speed...I guess."

"Not up to speed?" Sara asked, looking down at him. She felt his bodily heat easily through her own shirt, he was still hot as blazes. But at least he had calmed down now, and was in the process of cooling off. She frowned softly, gently placing her hand square on his chest. "I could cook an egg on your chest, Scooter. You are that hot right now."

He looked down at himself, and he frowned softly. He smiled a little, and closed his eyes, still taking deep, slow breaths. At least he was getting better, so he thought.

**Chapter Five**

"We should take you to the hospital, honey. Something isn't right with you." Sara said to Scooter, as they sat backstage, only a couple of hours after the incident in the early morning hours. "This is the second time it's happened since you came home." She whispered to him.

"I know. Something isn't right...but..." He whispered as well, looking down at his clipboard. He wasn't wearing his jacket, but was only in his yellow shirt now. One arm propped up on the counter, he rested his chin in his hand. The other hand was drumming softly on the desk, he was nervous. Sara gently placed her hand on his, and looked at him.

"But what?" She countered, making him look at her. "We're getting married after the show, right?"

"Well, yeah, we are." He said softly, finally looking her in the eyes.

Uncle Deadly watched from the hall, a soft smile across his face. He hated to admit it, but it was nice seeing something else then chaos and disorder in this theatre. He was jealous of their love, but it warmed his old cold heart so to see them like this.

"Let me tell you this: You're going to the hospital. I still want to get married to you." She said with a soft frown crossing her face. "And I can't very well marry a dead man, and you know that."

Scooter's train of thought stopped, he wondered why she would say something like this. Perhaps she was thinking as he was thinking. His thoughts were was he dying? Was he going to even live to see the Winter Splendor Show? And who was that man in black that tortured him. That last thought never left his mind for a moment.

"A...a dead man?" He finally stammered, looking her closely in the face. She was still frowning, and she looked down at his hands for a moment.

"Yes, a dead man. Cause that's what you'll be if you don't go to the hospital, to see what's going on with you!" Sara said, forcefully, glaring at him worried.

"I don't have the time, Sara. I'll be okay. Trust me, please." He said to her, giving her a kiss on the forehead, as he stood up to go and help Kermit with planning the show some more.

He left Sara sitting at the table, frowning. She looked down, and closed her eyes. She almost felt like crying just then. Her own fiancee wouldn't listen to her about the hospital. 'He must think he's a superhero or something...' Her mind painfully rung out towards herself. She felt a vibration in her pocket, it was her cell phone.

"Huh, it's Dad.." She mumbled, opening the cell phone and placing it to her ear. "Hi, Daddy. What's going on?"

"It's your mother, Sara." James stated, on the other end. He sounded worried, Sara thought.

"What about Mom? Is she okay?" Sara asked, starting to frown a little.

"You and your sisters need to get home, now." There was a pause at the end of the line, and she heard him sigh hard. "She's in the hospital."

Sara froze in place in the backstage. She closed her eyes, and tears were forming at her eyes now. "No...no...no..." She repeated a little bit, shaking her head.

"She had a heart attack...and..." Her father's voice seemed to melt away, as the tears started to flow down Sara's cheeks, hot and fast. She stumbled through the backstage area, and outside to the parking lot, in a fog. She couldn't tear herself away from the phone, but she instead walked to her car, and sat down in the driver's seat, her feet still on the pavement.

"...she might not wake up from it." Her father, James finally quieted down, and there was a pause at the end of the line. "Sara? I need you to get Kim and Lisa and bring them to the hospital on Sesame Street. That's where we are now."

"O-Okay, Daddy...I...I will." Sara said through her tears. She wiped her face off, and frowned softly, sniffling. "How do you get to Sesame Street? I forgot...and...I don't think any of us should be driving anyways...I'll...I'll see if I can get someone to drive us there."

"That will be perfectly fine, sweetiepie. To get to Sesame Street, just take the main highway, until you hit exit 123, and then about 4 streets down, you'll see the green sign. You can't miss it. Stop by the Fix-It shop. I'll be waiting for you and your sisters, okay?" James said, a soft smile could be heard through his voice.

"Alright. We'll get there...as soon as possible. I...I actually think I might be able to drive maybe..." Sara said, as she got into her car and started it up, closing the door. "We'll be there soon. Love you Daddy, give Momma a kiss and hug for me."

"Right, sweetie. See ya soon." James said, ending the phone call.

Sara started up her car, and pulled out of the parking lot, making her way down the street to the bookstore. She was shaking her head the entire time. What could have happened to their mother? Why this? Why now? The questions dissolved away, when she pulled up and saw the lights were mostly off in the bookstore.

"Huh?" She asked herself, as she opened the door. "Kim? Lisa! Where are you guys?"

Kim turned around from behind the desk, and smiled softly when she saw her little sister standing there. Lisa came walking down from the upstairs, a book in her hand.

"Sis!" Lisa yelled, running towards her and giving Sara a huge hug. "How're you doing?" She saw Sara's expression, and her puffy eyes. "You've been crying...what's wrong?"

"It's Momma, Lisa." Sara said, sighing softly. Lisa gasped, and Kim grabbed her keys and her purse, walking out from behind the counter. "We need to go to the hospital, she...she's in a coma. She had a heart attack!" The tears fell freely once more, and Lisa gave her big sister a tight hug. Kim walked over and gave them both a hug as well.

"I'll drive Sara. You're in no condition to drive at all." Kim said, she was always the headstrong of the three. She grabbed a closed sign, and put it on the door, once they were outside, and she locked the bookstore. "Lisa, you call Ed and Beth, tell them what's happened, and see if they can watch over the bookstore. W-We need to get there as soon as possible, right Sara?"

"Yeah...I guess Dad called me, because I'm the only one of us that has a cellphone..." Sara mumbled, as she and Lisa climbed into the backseat of Kim's car.

"He probably tried us, but we keep the ringer turned off. Too many telemarketers." Kim stated, as she pulled out to the street. "Where do we go?"

"Sesame Street, Kim. Do you know how to get there?" Sara asked softly.

"Yep. We used to live there, until you were born, Sara. We moved because of Dad's job." Kim pulled the car out towards Sesame Street, and they were on their way.

"I just..hope we can make it in time, guys." Lisa said, frowning softly.

"Me too." Kim said, with steely determination.

**Chapter Six**

"We're here guys." Kim said, as she pulled into the small parking area behind the Fix-It Shop. Kim stepped out from her car, and frowned softly. Almost immediately a couple of people came out from the shops back enterence.

"You must be the Vines' daughters! I'm Maria, and this is my husband Luis. Come on in, he's waiting for you." Maria said softly, as she walked back inside. The three sisters got out of their car and walked inside. The small shop had many appliances stacked from the floor to the counters. Lots of toasters and household appliances. Lisa wondered just how could somebody create that many items that were broken?

An old man was sitting at the counter, slightly hunched over. His thin glasses glinted in the noonday sun that filtered through the window. The Count was sitting beside him, his hand resting gently on the man's arm. The old man sighed, and looked out the window.

"I still can't believe it, Count." He shook his head, and smiled wistfully. His voice was ragged, like he had been shouting for hours on end it seemed, and he spoke softly and deliberately as if english was a foreign language to him. "The girls..."

Count heard Kim sigh, and he turned his head a little. He saw the sisters standing there, frozen to the spot. "Your girls are here. Your 3 beautiful girls are here, James; old friend."

James smiled and turned in the seat to see his daughters. He smiled at them, and immediately Lisa ran to his side, with Sara not to far off. Kim walked a little slower then her sisters, but nonetheless she was at his side right after the other two. They hugged him tightly, and he hugged them back, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

"When?" Kim asked, tears already forming in her eyes.

"I'm not sure, actually...time's...kinda stood still right now, girls." He slowly checked his watch, and frowned softly. "I'd guess about an hour ago. She's...probably still there too." He gulped softly, turning away from them for a second.

"What happened Daddy?" Lisa asked, tears already streaming down her cheeks; she was shaking just then from the emotion.

"Your Momma's heart just gave out, girls. She was able to tell me, that she loved each and every one of you. She never wants you to give up on your dreams, no matter what they are." James said softly, a gentle smile playing on his face.

Sara's cell phone vibrated again, and she pulled it out frowning. It was the theatre. She patted her father's shoulder and walked outside onto the main street, and then answered her phone.

"Yes? Who is calling me?" She said into the phone, a little angry. She sounded like she was crying or was about to cry.

"Sara, it's me, Scooter." He paused for a second, when he heard her sniffling on the other end. "Honey...what's wrong? I..I'm really sorry about eariler and all, I didn't think I was being mean..."

"No...no gofer...it's not that." Sara managed to mumble softly. "My mom just died...she...she had a massive heart attack early this morning, sometime around 1 am we think, and Dad called us...rather called me right after we had that arguement. Which really wasn't even an arguement to begin with, but he called me told me what happened, and I got Kim and Lisa. We went to Sesame Street, which was where Mom was...but..."

"But what Sara?" Scooter unfortunately asked her that question, which he probably shouldn't have.

"WE WERE TOO LATE!" Sara yelled out, not able to hold anything else back then. Of each of the three sisters, she was the closest to their mother, she was a momma's girl, and this simply broke her heart beyond recogination. Kim was close to their father, and Lisa was equal with them both.

Big Bird was ambling along the sidewalk, when he heard this scream coming farther down the street. He opened his eyes a bit more, and sped up his walking just a little bit. He saw Sara sitting on the stoop to 123 Sesame Street, and was openly crying while on her cell phone. Bird stopped just a few feet away from her, and he patiently waited while she finished her call.

"...and...and her heart just gave out, Scooter...we were too late to say goodbye...and...and oh..." Sara was mumbling, her cheeks wet with her tears, her upper pants was dotted with wetness, and her left hand was a little wet as she wiped her face every now and again, so she could see clearly. "I never got to say goodbye, Scooter."

"Maybe you'll get to say goodbye some other time?" Big Bird asked softly, leaning in a little bit to where Sara was.

"...honey...I've gotta call you back. An old friend of mine is here. Yes, I'll be back within a few days, a week at the latest. Why don't you come to Sesame Street? I...I really need your support." She asked softly, while smiling at Big Bird.

"Sure, I'll get there in a hour or so. See you sweetheart." He said, nodding to himself. She really needed him, and he knew it.

"Thanks, bye honey." Sara said, as she ended the call and closed her cell phone, placing it once more in her jacket's pocket. She looked at Big Bird, and smiled softly. "Hey Big Bird...s-sorry you had to see that."

"See what?" He asked her, then he shook his head, while sitting down beside her. He looked down at her, and wrapped one of his feathery wings around her. "You were crying eariler...what's happened?" He asked, curiously.

Sara's train of thought ran to a halt. How would you explain to a 6 year old bird about what's happened. Then, she remembered something.

"Do you remember Mr. Hooper, Big Bird?" She asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah! I really miss him, a whole lot. But, but Alan does a lot of what Mr. Hooper did you know!" He said quite brightly. Sara laughed softly.

"Yeah, Alan does. Do you remember how you felt, when Mr. Hooper died?" She inquired gently.

"I was mad for a little while. But then I just really felt sad...it was a long while before I felt really better about it. Don't tell anyone else this, but I really missed him for nearly a whole year." He said softly, almost whispering to Sara.

"Big Bird, it's okay to miss someone. I just barely knew who Mr. Hooper was, and I still miss him. But, what I'm trying to get at, is...my mother just died. And...well...I'm not really in a good mood." She said, looking down a little bit.

"You're really sad? Or are you mad? Or both?" Big Bird asked, looking at her closely again. Sara looked up at him, and frowned softly.

"I feel like punching a wall, Big Bird. I feel almost guilty, I...I never got to say goodbye to my mom...and...the last time I talked with her, I had just told her I was going out with Scooter...never even got to tell her I'm getting married." She looked downwards and gently laid on Big Bird's stomach.

Even though Big Bird was only 6 years old, this little (or rather big) bird had a wise sense of wisdom about him. Perhaps he didn't understand everything that people said, and sometimes he didn't get why people would do what they do, but he always seemed to know what was right to say and what was wrong to say. And always the simplest way to do things, to say things; and how to get the point across. He hugged Sara tightly, and gently lifted her chin upwards, so she was looking up at him.

"I never got to say goodbye to Mr. Hooper either." Big Bird said softly.

Sara choked up just then, and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big hug. Although she was nearly 20 years old, a used-to-be star reporter, and was going to be married in nearly 4 months...she felt just like when she was 2 years old, giving Big Bird a last hug, before they moved. She was crying then, just as much as she was crying now. She thought she would never see the big yellow bird ever in her life.

But she did, and it was just as comforting as it was 18 years ago.

**Chapter Seven**

Scooter was pacing around the theatre, he still felt a little lightheaded from all that had happened, but he couldn't see staying in Hensonville now. He had to go where she was. It made perfect sense to him. Go to where she was. He got into his jeep, without even telling Kermit or anyone else, and he went back to the boarding house and packed a bag. He then drove over to Sara's house, found her key under the rock and went inside, packing her a bag as well. Getting back in the car, he sighed, looking at the passenger's seat. His own suitcase, and his financee's. Then he remembered.

"The emergency suitcases at the bookstore!" He started the jeep up, and went to the bookstore.

The Vines Sisters were an odd bunch, a little neurotic each in their own special ways. Kim, the oldest always remembered the tinyest detail of everything, that's why she ran the bookstore and did the money working as well. Sara, the middle sister; she always had a good head on her shoulder, being able to see most things in a postive light, and be able to retell stuff, even the most boring things, and make them into the most flowered language ever. Basically Sara could easily bull her way though anything, a very smooth talker, if you will. Lisa, the youngest always nitpicked and nagged about everything, but in the end; little Lisa was the one who kept everyone on their toes. The three of them together were quite a formidable lot.

Scooter finally got to the bookstore, and found the key under another rock; and he opened the doors gently. The rush of the smell of paper and ink met him. He loved that dusty, old, comfortable library. Carefully making his way upstairs, he found where the rooms were, and picked up the two suitcases sitting beside each of the doors. To someone who never knew the sisters, they would think that odd. Someone always having an emergency suitcase packed and ready to go at all times, seems quite strange. But, again to these sisters, along with their neuroticly endearing qualities, came not so well health. Each of them, had health problems of varying degrees. So, they each had a suitcase made up, ready to go, when the flight for saving their lives happened. Scooter paused in Sara's old room, and looked around. Many books were littered about her room, and lots of papers. The same was in Lisa's and Kim's rooms as well. He chuckled to himself softly.

"I guess they picked the right jobs." Scooter said to himself gently, as picked up the suitcases, and started to head out the door to his jeep. He set them both in the floor, and got into the driver's seat and took off, to go to Sesame Street.

------------------------------------------

Kermit was standing backstage, and was glaring at a piece of paper. He couldn't believe his eyes what he saw on that paper. He was shocked, worried, angry, and sad all at the same time.

"Uncle Kermit? What's wrong?" Robin asked his uncle, when he saw he was frozen to the spot where he stood.

"...It's Scooter, Robin." He finally said, still staring at the sheet, numb.

"What's wrong with Scooter? Is he okay?" His little nephew asked, hopping up onto the table. He saw the note, and started to read it outloud from behind his Uncle's shoulder. "Dear Boss, I've gone to Sesame Street to be with Sara. Her mother was put into the hospital this morning, and she died a couple of hours ago. I need to be with her for support. I won't be able to be in the show this week. I'm very sorry, Chief. But you'll have to find two other people to sing the duet on-stage for that night." Robin shook his head, and looked at Kermit again. "Sara's mom...died? Oh no...that's terrible, Uncle Kermit!"

"It is terrible..." Kermit muttered. He wish Robin would go find something else to do, because, although her mother's death, and Scooter not being present were both not well at all...the bigger thing on his mind was finding a replacement duo with only one night between then and the show. "Why don't you get everyone gathered up and tell them, Robin?"

"Okay, Uncle Kermit!" Robin hopped off of the desk, and hopped out to the stage, and was getting ready to yell. "GUYS! I've GOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT!"

His little voice was drowned out by everyone else talking and chatting away. He frowned and tried once more, but nothing broke through the group. Sweetums lumbered onstage, and gently picked up Robin in his hands. Robin told him what was going on, and Sweetums turned towards the audience.

"LITTLE ROBIN WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL!" Sweetums roared, then smiled at Robin, who thanked him.

"Thanks, Sweetums! O-Okay guys! Scooter's gone to Sesame Street, to be with Sara. Sara's momma, just passed away today, and she'll be at Sesame Street for a little while, and Scooter probably won't come back until she does!" He stated, making sure his little voice was loud and clear.

"Okay, it's really bad that her mom died and all...but what does that really have to do with us, Robin?" Rizzo had the gall to ask, standing up in his theatre seat. Robin looked away for a moment thinking.

"It's just so we'll all know where they are, so we don't worry, I guess." He finally said. "I-I mean if one of us left suddenly, we'd want everyone to know where we were, right?"

"Little frog rully has a point there." Janice piped up, smiling. Everyone agreed, and remembered Scooter and Sara for the rest of the day, they wished them well, although they couldn't see nor speak with them.

Kermit just wondered how they were taking it, and what he was going to do on such short notice.

**Chapter Eight**

The muddied jeep pulled up in front of the Fix-It Shop, and killed it's engine. Not a lot of people were around just then, and Scooter stepped out from his car, grabbing the suitcases. He saw a few people and kids milling about the street, but he decided not to bother them. Walking inside the shop, he set the suitcases down and came up to the counter.

"Hello there! My name is Scooter, and I'm looking for my finacee, Sara." He asked the man behind the counter.

"Oh, Sara? She and her sisters, as well as her father went to his apartment, it's at 123 Sesame Street, I think it's the 5th room in the apartments." Luis responded to him, smiling.

"Thanks!" He said happily, as he grabbed the suitcases once more, and walked out from the Fix-It Shop. He saw the apartments just down the street, and he started out for them.

Lisa was laying the couch, with Kim beside her. Lisa was sleeping again, which was quite normal for her, and Kim was absentmindly stroking her little sister's head, thinking. James was in the kitchen, making stew for them, singing a soft song.

"When apples still grow in November, when blossoms still bloom on each tree, when leaves are still green in December. It's then that our land will be free.

I've wandered the hills and valleys, and still through my sorrow I see. A land that has never known freedom, and only her rivers run free" He sang, deep and mellow, while walking about the kitchen slowly. His mind turned to his wife, Brenda. He missed her so much.

"I drink to the death of her manhood. Those men who'd rather have died. Than to live in the cold chains of bondage. To bring back their rights were denied. But where are you now that we need you? What burns where the flame used to be? Are you gone like the snow of last winter? And still only our rivers run free.

How sweet is life, but we're dying, how mellow the wine, but we're dry. How fragrant the rose, but it's dying, how gentle the wind but it sighs. What good is in youth when it's aging? What joys are in eyes that can't see? When there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers, and still only our rivers run free..." He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering that Brenda just loved this song, and he stayed in his place, shaking softly from his tears.

"When there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers, and still only our rivers run free..." He repeated, his hand gripping the countertop, tears falling down his cheeks. "Faith...oh, why did this happen, Brenda? You're missing so much o' the girl's lives ya know.." His thick irish brogue, was soft that day, as he merely spoke to the air; to his wife. He saw Kim and Lisa on the couch, sleeping. He wondered for a moment where Sara was, but he knew she could take care of herself; that she was fine.

"The little'un misses you dearly, as we all do. I just...I wish I had known how to help ya, my dear rose." He stopped, and looked down at the sink for a moment. "Pe'raps I should go back home. Tell the family 'en all 'bout what 'appened 'ere."

There was a ring at the doorbell, and James went over, opening the door. He smiled when he saw who it was. "Scooter! My dear boy...come on in 'ere, set those bags down and have a good seat. 'Ave ya seen Sara round 'bout 'ere?"

"No, I haven't sir. How are you guys doing anyways? How are you holding up?" Scooter asked, as he set the four suitcases down against the couch, and then sat in a large armchair beside the sofa. "Heh. I see Lisa's knocked-out again."

Kim laughed softly, and nudged Lisa awake. "Yeah, she's exhausted. Been working on another story of her's, and she's stayed up too late. Then this...well, it just dosn't help any of us at all."

"I see...so what about you Mr. James?" Scooter then inquired, looking over at the man, who was leaning softly on the back of another chair.

"Call me Dad, would you Scooter? I mean, you're my son-in-law anyways..." He said smiling.

"Sara's told you already?" He pondered out loud. James got an odd smile on his face.

"You mean ya really are getting hitched, me boy?" He laughed out loud a few times, a gleeful smile crossing his face. "I just considered you me son-in-law, 'cause I felt I knew ya so well, like ya were the son I never had, ya know? But...by god on high, that's wonderful news! Congrats, Scooter!"

Scooter smiled, and laughed a little with him. He looked out the window a little, and sighed. "I think I'll go see if I can't find Sara, okay?"

"Alright. We'll have lunch done in a bit, take ya time." James said, as he started to walk back to the kitchen to tend to the boiling stew.

With that, Scooter said bye to Kim and Lisa, and walked back outside once more. He was hoping he would find Sara soon, he was anxious to talk with her, and make sure she was alright.

-----------------------------------------

"I have something to show you Sara." Big Bird said to her, as he led her blindfolded to his nest.

"Come on, Big Bird...why the blindfold?" She said, smiling a little.

"I don't want you to see it, before we're here!" He led her around a small corner, and she heard the squeak of the door opening. She knew she must be in Bird's nest then. He led her to a small crate, and helped her sit down. "Don't take it off yet!"

There was some rustling, it sounded like papers almost. A few boxes were opened, and she heard Big Bird mumbling. "Now where did I put...no, that's Radar...ah-ha! Here it is!"

He patted her shoulder gently. "Okay. You can open your eyes now." She opened them. Big Bird was holding up a very pretty picture of herself and her sisters. It was nice simple lined picture, sort of like the caracatuires Big Bird had done years ago of his friends. She was standing beside Scooter, with her two sisters flanking either side of her. above them were her mother and father, hugging each other.

"...Big Bird...you drew this?" Sara asked softly, holding the picture delicately. "This is beautiful..."

"Yeah, I drew it myself. Thank you, I think it's really pretty too." Bird smiled, and settled down on his nest, looking over at her. He yawned a little bit, he looked tired.

"It's time for your nap, isn't it?" Sara said, smiling.

"It is. C-Could you tuck me in?" He asked her gently.

"Are you sure? Wouldn't you want me to get Gordon, or Susan?" She inquired softly, standing beside the large bird now.

"I'd like you too, if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't mind at all, Big Bird." Sara said, as she picked up his blue blanket, and draped it across his back, as that was all he could really cover. She picked up Radar, and handed the bear to Big Bird, as he settled down, his eyes drooping softly.

"Can you sing me a song, too?" He asked very gently, and Sara smiled.

"Sure. It's an old song my mother taught me, Big Bird." Sara gently smiled, and sat down beside Big Bird, wrapping her arms around him carefully, as she sang to him.

_"All the skies are blue tonight, deep blue like the sea at hand. I hold you close in my arms tonight, as we dance and sing on the land. "I love you much, as all friends do...Your friends love you oh so true...So sleep dear Big Bird, I beg you, for I and your friends love you too..."_

Big Bird was quickly off to sleep, with that short, haunting lullaby. Bob, Gordon, and Susan were standing outside of Big Bird's nest. They smiled when they heard that song.

"Isn't that little Sara?" Bob asked quietly, looking in on the scene, with Sara making sure Big Bird was tucked in nicely.

"Yep. She came back, because of Brenda. Her other sisters are here as well." Gordon noted, smiling as well.

"That's great to hear. We should go and see how James is, though." Susan said, then the three of them left to go to James' apartment. A few minutes later, Sara was on the move again, to meet some more old friends of her's.

**Chapter Nine**

Bert was sitting outside on the steps to his apartment, Bernice was beside him; eating birdseed out of his hand. He was a little bored, gently stroking Bernice's back while she ate. Ernie was laying down on the thick stone banister that was beside the short stairs. He was whistling softly, watching the clouds pass by.

"Hey ol' buddy Bert?" Ernie asked, turning his head towards Bert a little. "Why do you think Mrs. Vines is late today?"

"I don't know Bert. Maybe she couldn't find the books or something." Bert responded, frowning softly. Mrs. Vines was never late with the bookmobile. They both had books to turn into the main library, but she hadn't come today.

"But she's never late, Bert. She always comes on Wednesdays around 2 pm." Ernie looked back at the sky for a moment, and sighed. "I really want to see if she had found that book on rubber duckies yet."

"You've got late fees to pay too. You destroyed my pigeon book with that last thing you did." Bert said, a sly smile on his face.

"Bert, I'm sorry I did that. I thought the book needed to be cleaned up!" He said, folding his arms behind his head now.

"Yes, with a damp paper towel, Ernie. Not a soak in dishwashing liquid and soap!"

"It was really grimy you know, Bert. Oh well, Mrs. Vines will understand I hope."

"Don't worry, she always understands." Bert said, smiling softly. He watched as Bernice hopped onto his knee, and cooed softly; looking up at him. "You're all done Bernice? Okay then.." He said as he put what was left of the birdseed back into the small box that he kept it in.

"Who always understands?" A lone voice said, as they turned the corner. It was Sara, smiling softly at them both. "Ernie! Bert! It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"Sara!" Ernie said, jumping off of the steps onto the ground. "Wow, it's so neat that you're here! Do you wanna play?"

"Sorry, Ernie. I just came by to say hi to you both." She said, sitting down beside Bert on the steps. She frowned softly, and Bert tapped her shoulder.

"Would you happen to know why the bookmobile hasn't come by today?" He asked her. Sara froze for a moment, and sighed deeply.

"My Mother's gone, Bert." She hated to have to say that, yet again. But apperently not everyone knew what had happened to her mother, it was like ripping off a scab and letting it bleed anew. She wished she could leave Sesame Street now...she knew what was going to happen.

"Well, where did she go?" Ernie asked her then, as he sat down on her other side. He was smiling, looking up at her.

"She won't be back, Ernie. She died a few hours ago at the hospital." She looked down for a moment. No tears came, she was all cried out by that time. All she could find the energy to do was sigh again, and she placed her arms around the two boys gently. "I'm sorry you haven't heard yet."

Bert and Ernie looked down at the ground as well. Bert sniffled softly, and Ernie lifted his head a little bit. "So...the bookmobile's not coming today? Is...is it ever going to come back?"

Sara looked at Ernie, and wondered why he had said that. She knew he never meant that as rude, but it was a little odd that that was the first thing out of his mouth after she told him that.

"I'm not sure, Ernie. Someone else I guess will run the bookmobile for my Mother." She smiled softly. "You guys really like reading, huh?"

"Yeah...it's really neat." Bert managed to say. He stood up, and tapped Sara's shoulder. "We've got something inside...it...it was for Mrs. Vines. She's so nice to us and everything, we got her a little gift, for her birthday and everything."

"Oh...um..." Sara wasn't sure what to say, but Bert just shook his head, and walked inside the apartment and got the small gift. He brought it outside and handed it to her.

"I know this was for your Mom, but you'd probably like it as well.."

Sara opened the small box, and inside of it was a few paperclips, a Figgy Fizz bottle cap in a clear plastic box, and a small rubber ducky. She smiled, and looked at them both. Ernie patted her back gently, and pointed to the rubber ducky.

"It's the first rubber ducky I got from my ol' buddy Bert here. She bought me a new one, so I figured she'd love to have this one. I've not used it much, but she always said she liked how he squeaked." Ernie said softly, patting the rubber ducky.

"And, and this is one of two of my Figgy Fizz bottle caps, it could be really collectible one of these days you know. And that's some of my paperclip collection. Some of my favorites. We...we weren't sure what to get her, cause she has all the books she'd ever want at the library you know. So we put this together, and..." He stopped talking for a moment, and looked away, a slight frown coming across his features.

"..and it was for her birthday this year." Ernie finished up what Bert was trying to say. "We mean...she taught us how to read, when we were little."

Sara nodded, and then her attention turned from Ernie and Bert to a noise coming around the corner. It was soft panting, and the thuds of rubber-soled sneakers squeaking on the concrete. She saw an orange hand grab the side of the wall, and pause, she heard a slight gasping noise.

"..Scooter?" She asked curiously. Sara thought he was still back in the theatre, in Hensonville. She stood up from the steps, and excused herself; walking down the small way to the corner of the building where the orange hand led too.

Scooter was grasping the edge of the building, softly panting, his jacket tied around his waist. He wished whatever was happening to him would quit once and for all. It was like it was eariler that morning, the redness; shortness of breath. He felt like he was going to pass out again. He looked up, and saw Sara standing in front of him, her hand over her mouth in astonishment. He nodded softly, smiling.

That was the last thing he saw, before his vision went black.

**Chapter Ten**

Sara was pacing nervously in the waiting room of the hospital, her eyes glued to the clock. She felt like she was going to run a rut in the floor, but she didn't care. Bob, Gordon, Susan, and the rest of her surviving family were seated along the walls, watching Sara pace like that.

"Being this nervous isn't going to help, you know." Bob said softly, looking at her concernedly. "You should sit down, try to relax some..."

"Relax! My husband could be in real trouble, and I have no clue what's going on with him!" She said forcefully, going towards Bob for a second, before she resumed her pacing in the middle of the hallway.

"Husband? You guys arn't married yet are you?" Susan asked, a slight smile crossing her face.

"Well...no...no he's not really my husband just yet. But we've known each other for a couple of years now, and...the only thing between him really being my husband and not really being my husband is a sheet of paper with our names on it, and a preacher. Other then that, we might as well be." Sara said a slight frown crossing her features. James walked over, and placed an arm around her shoulders and gently led her back to a seat beside him.

"Come on now, lass. There's no need to run that rut the time we're here. He'll be fine, I know of it. He's a tough lad, he is." He gave her a kiss on her cheek, and she finally settled down somewhat.

"Ms. Vines?" A muppet nurse asked, coming from the top of the waiting room, a small clipboard in her hands. "He's awake now."

"Oh, thank you!" Sara said, happily, as she went into the room quickly.

Scooter was sitting up on the bed, a small pulse meter on his finger, but otherwise he was unattached to anything else. Sara walked over and gave him a tight hug, glad that he was okay. He wrapped his arms around her neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You know sweetie...there are way better ways to get my attention then that." Sara said softly, while he gave her another kiss on her cheek. She giggled softly, then patted his arm, looking at his face. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble."

"You know I just couldn't help swooning for you." He said, smirking. He coughed a bit, and sighed. "They just think I might have gotten overheated. They can't figure out what's going on with me."

"Either way, I'm glad you're still around sweetheart. They're having the funeral today. Traditional Irish funeral, they don't let us rest at all, till she's in the ground." Sara chuckled lightly, and sat down gently on the bed beside him. "When do they let you out of the hoosgow?"

"In a little while. They're doing a few more tests, then I'm free to go."

"Glad to hear it, Scooter. I guess we'll take it easy, go to Mom's...funeral. Then we'll finally go back to Hensonville. I think Dad would find it best to move back there and live with my sisters." Sara said, smiling over at her father.

"Ahh...no lass. You shan't be ringing me into this. I'll stay here at Sesame Street! The Count would miss me, I know it. And the others, they'll miss me too." He said, crossing his arms, a faint frown crossing his lips.

"Dad...you've got no family here. Friends, yes. But no family. You won't be staying where you have no family." Kim said, smirking. She brushed her long wild red hair out of her face, and gave him a hug. "Plus...we're only an hours drive away from Sesame Street anyways. And you know it."

Lisa said nothing, but gave her father a very tight hug. She looked up at him and gave him a very puppy dog eyed look. James looked down at her, and frowned.

She looked back at him, her eyes widening a little bit.

He frowned even more.

She started to frown herself, and hugged him tighter.

He gently pulled away from her grip, and sighed deeply, still frowning.

Her lower lip trembled slightly, and she looked up again at his face with her sky blue eyes, and her flaxen blonde hair.

"Awww...fine! Fine, ya little scheming brat!" James snarled, but not too meanly, as he gave Lisa a hug so tightly that she shook slightly. "I'll come and live with ya. Just don't think I'm going to get into that bookstore like your mother would. Got it?"

"Certainly Dad. I would expect no less from a man of your stature." Kim said, smiling widely.

"When's the funeral though?" Scooter piped up, asking anyone who knew.

"It's at 4:30 boy. We'd best not be late to it." James said, as he settled down into a chair within the room. He ran a hand through his graying red shock of hair, and sighed. "I just hope it goes alright."

"I'm sure it will, Dad. I'm really sure it will." Sara said, as she settled down beside Scooter, and they waited for 4pm to roll around. They would leave then to get to the funeral itself.

---------------------------------

Kermit was so restless just then. He was glaring at Scooter's clipboard, wishing he could extract some information from it, but it was merely a cardboard and metal thing that held sheets of paper. It had no brain, and he felt like he was like it. Brainless. Dead from the neck up. Fozzie ran by, with his joke book in his hands; he stopped suddenly and looked at Kermit for a moment.

"Is something wrong Kermit?" Fozzie finally asked.

"I don't know Fozzie. I've got this...really terrible feeling." He said slowly, still looking over the clipboard's contents.

"The show! It's about the show isn't it?" The loving bear said, slapping his paws together, while looking quite determined about something.

"No...I don't think it's that." He frowned, and scrunched his face softly. He saw everyone doing their job, and for once, even without Scooter to help him, it was going relatively smooth.

"Then what do you think it is, Kermit?" He asked quietly.

"I...I guess we'll know when it happens." The head frog said quietly as well, as he turned back towards the stairs and started to take them slowly, heading towards Piggy's dressing room.

**Chapter Eleven**

Solemn bagpipe music filled the air, it was lilting and flowing; like water through a river. It was haunting, and to some degree it was calming as well. No one wore black, but instead wore red, and blue, and all the other colors of the rainbow. Lisa was shaking softly, holding onto Kim by her arms. She was crying again. Sara was standing still as a stone, her hand clasped in Scooter's. Her face was expressionless, as she stared towards the gravestone.

It was inscribed with an open book, with letters and numbers coming off of the pages. Underneath it read these words: "Loving Mother, Wife, and Teacher. She taught the world to read, and sing. R.I.P."

Big Bird was shifting slightly, he was uncomfortable. He was always uncomfortable at funerals, and at weddings. He couldn't keep still. Ernie and Bert were quiet as well. The casket lay in it's straps, awaiting to be put beneath the ground. All of Sesame Street was around, mourning and honoring the woman who helped teach many of them to read. She was their libarian, the mobile-bookseller. The sweet part-time teacher at the elementary school.

She was their friend.

James stepped forwards, and looked down at the casket. It was a beautiful carved wooden casket, inlaid with some glass flowers on it's top. He kneeled down and placed both of his hands on the top of the casket, and laid his head down on it, staring at the wood.

"...my dear rose...Brenda...I'll miss you something terrible, I will, I will." He patted the casket, and sat back, as it was slowly lowered into the ground. He placed his forehead on the ground, weeping openly.

Kim and Lisa walked closer to James and wrapped their arms around his shoulders. Sara came from behind him, and was joining them in this group hug. Scooter meandered over to them, and gently placed a hand on Jame's shoulder. He nodded softly, and looked out over the green fields of the cemetary, and sighed softly.

"May you rest in peace, Mrs. Vines..." He said quite softly. The four of them nodded their heads, and stayed still for quite sometime.

-------------------------

"Oh, this will never work!" Kermit was starting to break down mentally, as he juggled with his many different tasks that evening. He wondered when Scooter was going to finally get back to the theatre. He threw the broken pencil he was working with across the room. It stuck into a huge block of foam that was against the wall. He heard a soft knocking, and looked towards the door. "I don't have time for this...come on inside!" He yelled out.

The door swung open, and five men were standing at the doorway. They walked inside and grabbed some seats and stools and one of them even sat on the floor. Smiling and laughing softly, they turned to Kermit for a second.

"Okay, Kermit? Have you figured out exactly what you're going to do with the show this week?" A younger man asked, looking up at Kermit through his thick glasses.

"No, Frank. I'm afraid I have no clue what we're going to do exactly..." He said, frowning softly. "Plus our gofer is out of town right now.."

"Scooter's gone? Where did he go to?" The other young man inquired, running a hand through his slight tightcurled afro. "Why would he leave so close to the show's opening."

"Something with family. His girlf---fiancee's mother died. And he accompanied her to the funeral. I think they're having it today, Richard." He said a little softer, while looking down at the phone still in his hands. He had a phone call to make, and they interrupted it.

"We're still catering, right?" A tall, thin man said, his eyes sparkling. "At least the coffee and dessert part, of course."

"Yes, you're still catering, Jim!" He was getting more cranky as the seconds rolled by. "And we're still doing the show! And I've no clue what we're going to do, but we're still having it! I need somebody, other then that hack husband and wife team to do a duet of "It Had to Be You"! Now, I've got some stuff to do, so would you all PLEASE LEAVE MY OFFICE!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs, waving his arms, as he shooed the five men out of his office. He slammed the door on them, and slumped down onto the floor with a loud sigh.

-------------------

"Goodness. You'd think he'd never had pressure before..." One of the other men, with a scruffy beard and thin glasses remarked; after being shoved out of Kermit's office.

"Yeah, Dave. I mean...that was a bit rude almost." The last man remarked, as they walked down the stairs.

Richard shrugged his shoulders a little bit. "He's just worried. The poor frog always is. I mean...really Jerry. If you had to deal with pigs, bears, chickens, and whatevers day in and day out, you'd probably go nuts too!"

The men agreed, and they finally headed out the front door, to help Jim with planning the partial catering he was to do.

--------------------

Kermit sat down on the floor, phone in hand. He frowned softly, and dialed a familiar number. He waited and waited for it to ring. He smiled when it was picked up.

"Hello there?" A soft voice asked, as it picked up the phone.

"Hi ho there, Nanny..."

**Chapter Twelve**

"Well, hello there Kermit." Nanny said softly, smiling. She sat in her chair at her house, as she sat her magazine to the side so she could focus on the converstation.

Kermit fiddled with his collar a little bit. He felt weird calling his Nanny, when he was a fullgrown frog and all. "I'm really worried."

"About what? Is it the show?"

"It is. We're trying to put on this Winter Splendor show, Nancy...and we haven't gotten the lighting right, or the scripts completed. Scooter and Sara bolted out from town, I mean, for good reason of course, but now we might very well not have anyone to do a duet with!"

"Kermit you need to calm down a bit. Jane was right when she had told me your a worrywart." She laughed softly. "It can't be that bad you know. Look at the positive things. You're not needing actors, right?"

"No, we've got enough people to do it. Missing the duet...but that might not be a problem if they get back within the next couple of days though."

"Okay then. The sets are done?"

"Yes, they are."

"Alright. Then, everyone is in good health, the theatre is clean, and you've got the music, sheet and otherwise?"

"That's all fine Nanny! I...I'm just so worried...that it'll be a flop. We're already somewhat in debt now, and J.P. is breathing down our necks with every passing day. He's keeps on threatening us to pay him. He wants that theatre to be paid off as soon as possible. Scooter's told me that his uncle's told him that he's done business with some odd man, who really wants that place paid off, and quickly."

"I see. Just don't you worry about that theatre, Kermit. I'm sure you and it will be perfectly fine!"

"Thanks Nancy...tomorrow I guess?"

"Tomorrow, Kermit. I'll talk to you again then. Bye sweetheart."

"Bye, Nanny." Kermit shut the phone off, after a few seconds of silence on the other end. He stayed seated on the floor, and he curled up a little bit, frowning. Nanny was his rock, so he thought. Everyone wondered, who did he go to, when he worried? Although he never said it, it was her. Standing up, he set the phone back on it's cradle, and opened the door, a slight smile playing across his face.

It will work, and he knew it.

--------------------------

They were walking down the street, slowly; taking their time. Each of them had a suitcase in their hands, and a reluctancy in their hearts.

"I canna believe I'm leaving Sesame Street, girls." James said, as he took one last look down the main street. He still had to move his possessions, but his daughters were going to do that. They knew if he came back too soon, he would stay behind. Sesame Street wasn't a bad place at all...but they really wanted their father to stay with them.

"It's no different then when you left Ireland, Daddy." Lisa piped up, looking up at her gruff father.

"I guess you're right, Lisa. It was much harder to leave Eire behind. But I did it for your Mum. She missed Sesame Street, and Hensonville...so we moved here. She almost felt like...like moving back one day, but...I convinced her to stay here. Too much moving with you little'uns would have messed you up right. So we stayed." James said, looking towards the highway with a soft wistful expression.

"Oh...man." Scooter stated as he picked up his cell phone from the Jeeps' glove compartment. It had 55 new messages on it. "...wow. I think they missed me."

"You think they missed you?" Sara asked with an incredolous smile on her face. "They must've thought you were dead or something!"

Scooter laughed softly, then just slipped the phone into his pocket. Then the other four of them got into his jeep, and then they split later on into Kim and Jame's car to go back to Hensonville. All packed and ready to go, the five made their way home, finally.

**Chapter Thirteen**

The jeep, and the two other cars came pulling into the theatre, after an hour of driving. They were all so tired, and they just left their suitcases in the vehicles.

"I'm glad to be back...that...wow." Scooter managed to say as they were nearing the doors. Scooter was in front of everyone else, with Sara right behind him. He reached forward to open the door, looking back at Sara. "I just hope Kermit can for---"

The door slammed into Scooter's face, and he fell backwards suddenly. A curly haired man stuck his head out from it, and his eyes went wide.

"Oh...no...I...I'm really sorry!" Richard said quickly, reaching down to help Scooter up. "Are you okay, Scooter?"

"Oow...y-yeah...I'm fine." He stood up with Richard's help, and he looked closely at the man for a moment. "How do you know my name?"

"We're good friends of Kermit's. And we're always at the shows too." Dave interjected, quickly getting outside, and also helping Scooter a bit.

"Oh...okay...t-that's fine. I'm not hurt, but thanks for helping me." He said, a soft smile crossing his face.

"Sure. I mean, I smacked you with the door anyways, I had to help ya!" Richard said with a smile, as the him and the rest of the muppeters made their way to their car. Scooter, and the rest of the Vines family made their way into the theatre quickly.

"I can't believe you, Richard." Frank said, looking over his glasses at Richard as they sat down in their van. Richard frowned, and looked out the window then. It was an odd thing, to see Richard quiet.

"Well?" Dave asked Richard as well. "Why didn't you say anything? It was the perfect time!"

"I...I just couldn't." Richard said softly, looking down at his hands for a moment.

Jim got into the driver's seat, and started it up. He turned back to his friends and smiled brightly. "Come on now. Let's not badger him anymore then he's been, okay? He'll tell him when he's ready."

The rest of them agreed slowly, and the drive back to the studio was a somewhat quiet one. Jerry, who hadn't said a word was thinking.

'Why didn't he say anything? It was perfect...but...then maybe he's waiting for them..'

-------------------------

"Scooter!" Gonzo yelled, and ran up to him, giving him a tight hug. "Where were you?" He was one of the few who hadn't heard. He had just come into the theatre an hour ago, and no one would say a word about where the gofer was.

"I was at her mother's funeral, Gonzo." Scooter said, frowning slightly.

"Oh...wow...how did it go?" He asked, looking back at the sisters and James.

"It was good, I guess." Kim said, a soft smile playing across her face. "They played her favorite song, 'Danny Boy' on the bagpipes.

"That's really sweet..." Gonzo mused, then there was a huge blast coming from the basement. "Uh oh...I think the mad scientists are at it again. I'll see if I can't help them."

"You mean see if you can't get blown up?" Scooter remarked, a sly smile on his face.

"Got that right!" Gonzo said, as he leapt down the stairs in one leap. "BANZAI!"

"...he's a glutton for pain, isn't he?" Lisa said, staring after Gonzo.

Sara nodded, smiling. Kim just laughed.

"I see you've come back again." Uncle Deadly intoned, as he stood in the hallway, looking at them. "I heard about the funeral, so...sorry to hear of such a thing."

"Thank you, Uncle Deadly." Sara said, smiling once more. "Did you miss us?"

"Frightfully so." He said with a slight sneer. His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I really missed all that smooching, and kissing you were making. It was so dreadfully quiet around here, I thought I might actually have to scare the pants off of someone just to get some action in this old place."

"That seems a little hard, Uncle Deadly." Scooter remarked, looking at him deadpan.

"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. He felt like he was being set up for some stupid joke.

"I mean, not many of us muppets even wear pants!" He responded laughing. Deadly just stared at him, and then turned to go across the stage.

"Did that bear write that? It sounds so horrible." He said as he left them.

"Ol' Sourpuss is certainly around. Why do you guys put up with him?" Kim asked, as she sat down on a stool in front of Kermit's desk.

"We can't get rid of the old spook, that's why. He's trapped in this theatre." The young gofer said, as he found his clipboard and looked over it. Kermit had scrawled down stuff hurriedly, trying to keep up with everyone. He saw a small note at the bottom.

'Scooter, when you finally get back and look at this, I REALLY need to have a little talk with you! -- Kermit the Frog'

Scooter gulped, and turned to Sara giving her a quick smooch on the lips. "I've gotta go deal with the Chief, Sara. Why don't you go and help your sisters and your Dad with the bags. I'll be over later, okay?"

"Okay, hun. You're eating supper with us, like you promised. Do not forget, okay?" She said, with a note of finality that Scooter clearly noticed.

"I promise I will not forget. Now...to go and deal with a very angry amphiban." He said, as he hurried up the stairs quickly.

The Vines family made their way back out of the theatre, and they headed to the Bookstore, to unload and get James settled in.

------------------

"What has gotten into that frog lately?" Frank said, as they sat in a circle, speaking.

Jim frowned, and repositioned the Kermit puppet on his arm softly. "I'm not sure. He was really high strung about their winter show. Maybe we could help him some."

"Yeah...like that frog will take help from us!" Richard said, as he picked up his Scooter puppet from it's box. "It's still kinda weird though."

"What's weird, Richard?" Dave countered, as he sat back in his chair, smirking.

Richard held up the puppet on his arm, and moved it's mouth lightly. "It's this." He pointed with his free hand to the puppet. "I don't see why we're doing this...why don't they just do public performances themselves?"

"Kermit thought of this plan, because for one, they can't be everywhere at once, plus when they first tryed to do a public performance, the people didn't really...they thought they were fake for some reason. So he contacted me, and I figured I'd help him by doing this. It's just something for fun you know?" Jim explained, as he practiced Kermit for a second. "I mean, it's hard for us to do all this all at once, guys." He responded in a really good imitation of Kermit's voice.

"It's a little raspy Jim. Try it again." Jerry stated, leaning forward slightly. Jim tried it again, and Jerry smiled. "I think you've got it just right, with that one."

"Good, we've got an apperance at some bookstore or something in a week. Plus, Kermit liked having duplicates, it was a lot easier on them. The people think they are fake, well, all except Hensonville and Sesame Street...and we get a nice modest paycheck, and it's just plain fun too."

Frank agreed, and gently lifted Piggy onto his arm, and made a weird face. "Wow...she needs to loose some weight or something. Any heavier and she'll break my arm."

"She'll break your arm if she hears you calling her fat, Frank." Richard said with a gleam in his eyes.

"You tell Miss Piggy that, and I will hurt you Richard. I've already gotten enough flak from her, cause she overheard me saying she needed to change her costume on the puppet to something less heavy! I do not want to have to go back to the doctor with more broken ribs!"

"Fine, fine Frank! I wasn't going to say anything anyways. I mean...she'd probably hit me too!" Richard was grinning from ear to ear while he said that.

"Lunch is ready guys!" Some stagehand yelled from the door to the room.

"Awesome! Lunch!" Dave shouted, as he, Richard, and Jerry got into a running contest to the lunch room.

They got their lunches, and they sat down, talking amongst themselves; when one of the caterers came over to them, and sat down eating his lunch as well.

"...I do not want to do that skit live, Jim. My neck is killing me, and that monitor isn't helping either." Richard complained, as he ate his lunch.

"I'll see what we can do, Richard. Maybe you should go see a massage therapist or something." Jim stated, as he drank another glup of water.

"...Um...I...I think I could probably help." The meek looking caterer said, looking over at them. He had black hair, and pale baby blue eyes. He was wearing a clean pressed black buttonup shirt, with ironed black chef's pants. He wasn't looking directly at them, and he adjusted his glasses a few times, awaiting an answer.

"Really?" Jim asked. "What do you know about massage?"

"My sister, she used to do it sometimes. I learned from her. I could give you guys neck massages if you'd like."

"Sure! That'd be great!" Richard said, as he craned his neck slightly. "It's so stiff lately."

The meek black haired man stood up, and went over to Richard, and started to massage his neck gently, and dug his thumbs in carefully, rotating and massaging nicely.

"There may be a few...prickling senstations...that's just the muscles relaxing." He said quietly, as he flicked both of his wrists quickly, before digging in once more into Richard's neck.

"Ooh! What was that?" Richard asked, turning his head softly to look at the man.

"Oh, nothing. Just the muscles, like I said." The man said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets quickly, before moving onto Jim. He did the same motion, and then as suddenly as he was there, he was gone.

**Chapter Fourteen**

The Muppets sat in silence in the theatre, as Sara came into the theatre with a bounding leap. She looked around, and smiled a little bit. Her smile fell when she saw Scooter stand up slowly. She sensed something wasn't right, and she walked over to him, and took his hand.

"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked softly. He wrapped his arms around her, and opened his mouth. Nothing came forth, and he leaned his head on her shoulder and cried. Kermit was no where to be seen, Sara noticed. The same with Fozzie and Piggy.

Clifford walked over, and patted Scooter's shoulder, and he just shook his head softly. "I guess...what he's wanting to say is that...a couple of friends of ours died last night."

"...no..." Sara mumbled backing away, with Scooter still on her shoulders. She almost fell backwards, but Scooter grabbed ahold of her before she hit the floor. "...no...no it can't be..."

Rizzo was saddened, but he tapped Clifford on his knee and waved him to lean down. "From what I'm seeing here, Cliffy. She dosn't know that it's Richard and Jim."

Clifford nodded, and looked at her, a very softened frown on his face. "It was Richard and Jim, just so...you know."

Sara nodded slowly, her mouth agape. "...oh god..." She finally fell back onto her butt, and Scooter fell on top of her. She hauled him to his butt, and she just placed her face into his chest, and started to cry as well. She'd known the men for nearly three years then, they were her mentors. "...I...I just...oh...no..."

Scooter stifled his tears after a few moments, and gave Sara a huge hug, cuddling her tightly. It was devastating news. Scooter stood up, and helped her to her feet, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"...l-let's go..." She whispered.

"Go where?" He asked her softly, looking at her tear-stained face.

"...the park." She mumbled.

The two of them slowly walked out from the theatre, and started down the road, walking at an easy and slow pace. They saw the statue of Kermit and the children, and they stopped for a moment.

"..I wonder how Kermit, Piggy, and Fozzie are doing." Sara said softly, tracing the words on the plaque with her fingertips. "I didn't...see them in the theatre."

"I'm not sure. They've been gone since last night. We woke up, and they weren't in the house at all." Scooter said, as they started up walking once more. "I'm worried for them, Sara."

They came to the pond, and sat down heavily on a bench. Sara leaned over onto Scooter's shoulder, and he wrapped one of his arms around her waist. The whole town felt slower it seemed. A small group of men were walking down the pathway slowly, Sara noticed them but didn't really think much of it. Plus her glasses were off, so she wasn't able to see easily.

"I just can't believe it Dad..." A young man stated to an older black man, as they walked down the pathway. "They...they never even had a chance it seemed."

The older black man merely shrugged his shoulders a little bit, frowning. One of the other men, gave the young kid a hug. They came nearer to the bench were Scooter and Sara were sitting. The young man saw the long red hair on the woman, and ran forward.

"Sara!" He yelled, as he ran up towards them, his messenger bag and camera slamming against his side with each thudding step. "Sara...?"

Sara looked up, and she smiled softly. "Oh...hi." She sat up more, and smiled at him. Scooter gave her an odd look. "Don't worry, this is an old friend of mine, from The State, Scooter. Sean, he was my assistant, the photographer I kept telling you about."

"The bumbler?" Scooter replied with a slight smirk. Sara went red then, pursing her lips together, as she slapped him on his shoulder. "What? You've called him that all the time."

"Sorry, Sean. My husband apperently dosn't know when to shut up." She said, smirking over at Scooter. She sighed, and shook her head. "Have you heard?"

Sean sat down beside them, and frowned deeply. "Yeah, I have. It's...I was there, you know."

"You were?" Sara asked, looking over at him with soft astonishment clear on her face.

"Yeah, I took some pictures too." He handed her his digital camera, and Sara flipped through the pictures quickly. She saw a small video in the listings, but she didn't think to look at it. Then she handed the camera back to him, frowning softly.

"It's so hard to think...they...they were so healthy and everything!" Sara replied. As Sara, Sean and Scooter were talking the other men went and sat beneath a large oak tree that was behind the bench.

"We should tell them, Jerry." Dave remarked, watching them closely. "That boy needs to know!"

"Richard wanted to tell them though." Frank said closing his eyes. They were coming back from the morgue, and the images were fresh in his mind. He had been crying the entire time, some of his best friends were gone now.

Kevin, the older black man reached forward and patted Frank's shoulder. They were all mourning, but they knew that Frank was hit hardest by it. "Maybe my boy will tell him."

"Sean? No. He's always honored what I've told him. And I've told him not to say a word about that. It was only supposed to be Richard and Richard only who told that boy that relation to him." Frank said, frowning deeply. He watched the three and wondered just what they were talking about then.

"How's your Mom?" Sean asked, setting the camera back into his bag. "I mean, Dad was going to go and try out the Clifford puppet with her finally. He's not sure if he got the tone right."

Sara looked down for a second. "She died a couple of days ago, Sean."

"Oh no..." He turned around, and saw Frank and the others sitting underneath the tree; he frowned softly for a moment, before turning back to Sara and Scooter. "Have you told Frank yet?" He whispered.

Sara's eyes went wide, she had forgotten to even call him. He was her step-uncle, and she completely forgot to call him about it. She felt absolutely horrible just then. "I...I forgot, Sean. I was so wrapped up in so much, then...it just went over my head. I'd better tell him myself." She stood up from the bench, and walked over to the men, and Frank smiled a little when he saw her.

"Hey there. How ya doing, my irish sweetie?" Frank said, as she settled down onto the grass between Frank and Jerry. Sara frowned softly, and fiddled with her fingers for a moment, she just wasn't sure how to tell him. "Something's wrong with you. You and Brenda always do that when you're worried." He said softly, looking at her, through his thick glasses.

"U-Uncle Frank? Um..." She stammered, taking her own glasses off again, and rubbing her eyes softly. "My mother...your step-sister, she died a few days ago. I...I completely forgot to call you, I was so wrapped up in trying to get to Sesame Street with my sisters, and then we were too late and she had died, and I felt..well we all felt so horrible, and..."

Frank patted her shoulder, and frowned softly. "...I already know. You need to calm down, sweetie, and take a few breaths. You're gonna hyperventilate or something."

Sara did take a few deep breaths, and she leaned against the tree, taking a deep sigh. "I'm SO sorry! Kim even said something about calling you on the way there, but we were just so...worried and everything, it never crossed our minds after that."

"Heh...kinda ironic." Frank chuckled at something he was thinking of just then.

"What's ironic, Uncle Frank?" Sara asked, looking over at him her wide green eyes barely sparkling with her tears then.

"Scooter apparently realized the way you three girls are, that calling me would just be the last thing on your minds. So he called Richard, and told him about what happened to your mother. He had told us she was in the hospital, after having a heart attack." Frank said, a soft smile on his face. "So, I had a feeling..." He touched his chest, where his heart was. "...in here. Brenda was never a strong woman, even when she was little; she was always sick with something. I knew a heart attack would just do her in most likely. It would have been a miracle if she was alive now."

Sara nodded sadly, and stayed leaned against the tree. Scooter and Sean then came over and joined her. The whole group was quiet, enjoying the peaceful setting of the park, the late fall blossoms falling off from the trees. Along with the early leaves slowly gliding from the sky like small parachuters. Sean had his camera out, taking a few pictures of the scenery, in it's pristine beauty. He saw something green being hurled across the park. He wondered what it was. Then Sean pulled out his longreach lens, and snapped it on, focusing on the other side of the park. He saw something quite interesting.

-------------------------------

"I can't believe it, Kermit!" Miss Piggy yelled, as she stood over Kermit's body on the ground. "HE TOLD YOU HE DIDN'T FEEL GOOD!"

"The man's a vegetarian, Piggy! How was I supposed to know he'd drop dead in two hours after that phone call?" Kermit yelled back, as he stood up. Piggy would have snatched him up by his shirt, except he had none, so she grabbed his collar instead. He winced in her powerful grip.

"If Jim said he had the sniffles, and a sore throat, you should have gone to see what had happened to him! A man that healthy, should not BE SICK IN ANY WAY!" She bellowed at him, then she slung him even farther down the parks lawn. He actually bounced once, before he came to rest on the ground, face down. He was still for a second. The light seemed to turn on in her head, as she realized just what she was doing to him. "...Kermie? Oh no! Kermie! Are you okay?" She ran over and kneeled down beside him, picking him up gently.

He coughed a few times, and spat some grass out, but otherwise he was fine. "...Piggy...if you want to hurt someone in retaliation, please...please, pick Fozzie!" He shouted, glaring at her closely. She nodded, and watched as Fozzie ran over to them.

"Where were you?" Piggy asked, as she sat on the open grassy field, with Kermit beside her. "We've not seen you since we came here."

"I was..." He was a little breathless, then he wiped his brow. "Wow, fur and heat do NOT mix! Woah...okay, I was over there, doing some comedy and slapstick for some nice people." He pointed back to a small group of adults and children who were waving at them, before they dispersed to wherever they had to go for the day.

"They actually liked it?" Kermit asked, smiling as Fozzie sat down beside them.

"Oh yeah! They really did, wocka wocka! The little kids loved the slapstick I was doing. They were laughing so hard!" He said smiling. Piggy heard some running footsteps, and saw Sara running full tilt for her.

"Sara! Honey! Piggy does that all the time! Kermit's FINE!" Scooter was yelling after her, running after her, his jacket had flown off now, and he was trucking to keep up with her.

Sara skidded to a halt on her knees in front of Piggy, and glared at her. She grabbed Piggy into a tight hug, and sighed. "You're alive! You've both alive!" She said, as she grabbed Kermit in a hug as well. Scooter stopped short of them, and leaned over placing both hands on his knees.

"What is with you, honey? You act like you're mad at her for...for doing that...then you hug her?" He asked, looking up at her, before sitting down beside them.

"...I was just so worried about Kermit, then I realized it wasn't hurting them. Then I was so relieved to see they were okay. It really...really freaked me out when I didn't see them this morning in the theatre." She said, as she let them go.

Kevin was running behind his son, Sean; and the rest of the muppeters were behind him. They were worried something was going to happen, then like Scooter they stopped short seeing her hug Miss Piggy. Sean smiled, and sat beside his Dad; and the others sat around them.

"I'm going to miss them." Kermit finally said, after a few minutes of silence.

Everyone else agreed quietly, and they laid back on the lawn, watching the clouds pass by. It was something the two men who had infleunced their lives loved to do.

**Chapter Fifteen**

It was quiet in the newsroom. Wontkins was pouring over some papers, when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in, I'm not busy." He said, without looking up from his papers. A tall muppet man walked inside, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Wontkin's desk. Another tall man, dressed completely in black sat beside him. Wontkins looked up and frowned softly.

"What do you want? The morgue is down the street." He said sourly, as he took another sip of his drink.

"Mr. Wontkins, because you haven't complied with the standards set by the City Council, in the way of renaming your local paper, we've gone over your head. You're being replaced."

He spat out his drink, and glared at them. "WHAT? I'm being FIRED! This can't happen! It won't happen!" He stood up, slamming his hands on the desk, and glared at the two men. The muppet man frowned a little, and leaned forward.

"I would suggest you just pack your things, and leave without a fight, Mr. Wontkins. We'd prefer it that way. Mr. Takashi here, will be your replacement. And the newspaper's name will now the The Hensonville Observer. Please leave as soon as possible."

Eli chuckled softly, and watched as Wontkins packed up his items and most of his files in his room. He stacked the three boxes on the desk, and frowned as he finally picked up his desk nameplaque and set that in last. Then, picking up his boxes, he left the room.

As he turned around the corner, he knocked over somebody accidently. "I..I'm sorry." He said hurriedly, not looking back at who he knocked over. The muppet woman picked herself up from the ground, and realized she had lost her glasses.

"Oh no...where are they?" She mumbled, patting the ground for them.

"Where is she?" Eli frowned, as he walked down the hall, looking for somebody. He saw her, patting the floor for her glasses. He leaned down and grabbed her glasses, shoving them into her hands. "Here you go, Sadie."

"Oh, thanks Eli. Did you get the job?" She asked, as she repositioned the glasses on her face.

"Yes. Go get our stuff, then we'll find an office for you too. And hurry!" He said, as he slowly turned the corner back to his own office. He stood in the office, and smiled.

"This is just perfect..." He mused for a moment. He heard a clatter of boxes and frantic excuses for what had happened. Walking out from the office, he saw Sadie standing amongst nearly five boxes that were all in the floor. Two of them had popped open, their contents spewed out all over everywhere. "...whatever is yours just set it over there, and bring my stuff in here, Sadie. I want to get this place up and running as soon as possible."

She complied, and then went back to get her own stuff. Setting the single box in the room that was her own, she slowly started unpacking. When she was nearly done, she saw a beautifully framed picture. It was her husband, which she had not seen in a few years, and her children.

"I miss you honey...I just wish I hadn't had to leave you like that..." She said quietly, her hand stroking the picture softly. Eli was standing in the doorway, and he frowned.

"Quit pining after Richard! You've got work to do, got it!" He barked out at her. He reached for the picture, and she pulled back.

"You will NOT get this picture, Eli! It's the only one I have of his!" She then slammed the picture into the file cabinet. Pulling out her laptop, she started to work.

"...you've got a lot to do, Sadie. Now, I've got an old friend to visit soon. When you're done, go straight home, and do not wander around Hensonville." He said cruelly. "You're still under my care, until you can get your own house, got it?"

"I understand, Mr. Takashi." Sadie said softly, as Eli left her tiny office, and eventually the newsroom. He was headed out to see an old friend, that was for sure.

**Chapter Sixteen**

It was quiet in the old theatre. The lights were dimmed, and it was relatively empty. Only Uncle Deadly, and the sounds of the night were around. A few old bats, however, were flying around the attic; but then...even they were gone. Gone to catch their midnight dinner. Deadly was muttering, walking around the backstage area, holding his old, battered copy of 'Hamlet' in his clawed hands. He was looking at it every now and again, reciting random lines out of it.

"I wish that frog would do some real Shakespere in this theatre. I dreadfully miss the wonderful plays of the bard." He said to himself, as he sat down in a chair backstage. He was deep in thought, when the back door flung open suddenly. "Who is there!" He yelled, bolting up to his feet.

"Just an old friend, you spook. I need some answers." A silky voice said from the alleyway, as they walked inside from the nipping cold.

"How do you know where this place is? And I am not your 'old friend'. Tell me who you are, or I will drive you out of this place." Deadly said with a sneer, as his upper lip curled on his brow. He was ready to fight, if need be. He felt the person's presence, and he wasn't pleased by it one bit.

"You're a fool, Deadly Devonshire. You do not remember your old partner?" The man said, as he gingerly took off his black hat, then slipped off his blackened trench coat. He was a tall man, with jet black hair, a sharp business suit on. Another man was behind him, dressed in a military fatigue, with his heavy boots clunking on the floor. "I need some answers, and you will tell me all that you know."

"Eli." Deadly said, as he slammed his book on the desk beside him. The military man laughed, and made a face at Deadly from behind Eli. "You brought that spectral abombanation with you as well? You will leave at once. You have NO place to be here in my theatre!" He yelled, as he made his way towards the two men. The military man suddenly whipped out a semi-automatic gun and pointed it directly at Uncle Deadly's chest, obvilous to the fact that Deadly was a ghost as he was.

Eli turned to the military man, and sighed; putting his hand over his eyes for a moment. "Steve." The man didn't budge, a crazed grin on his face, as he cocked the gun about to shoot. "STEVE! He's DEAD! The most that'll do is rip the decaying flesh off of his bones! It will NOT stop him at all! Put that thing away!"

Steve frowned, then decocked the gun, and slipped it back into it's holder. He then went and stood by the door, watching them both closely. He coughed slightly, then ducked outside to watch out there. Eli smiled at Deadly, and walked over; grabbing a chair to sit in.

"My dear old friend." He stated, smirking softly. He pulled out a slim silver cigarette case, and pulled one out. "Care for one?" He offered. Deadly waved it away, frowning still.

"I've never smoked, and I never will. Ghastly stuff that is." He said, looking slightly away from Eli. Eli shrugged and lit the cigarette already in his hands. "Now...what kind of answers do you seek, you foul demon?"

"The boy, Deadly." He stated simply. "You wish to know about...Eleanor, don't you?" He said, softly; leaning in towards Deadly's face, blowing a billowing fog of smoke into it. Deadly waved the smoke away, and backed up towards the outer edge of the desk, away from Eli.

"...What do you know of her?" He finally said, a sneer quite evident on his fanged jaw. "Tell me, now!"

"Ah, ah, ah...my old friend. Uncle Deadly, we simply cannot be too...hasty in these negotations now can we? I want to know about the boy. He's about to married, so I've heard." Eli stated, leaning back in his chair.

"I thought you were out of that poor woman's life forever. How do you know about it?"

"My sister, dear Deadly. She still speaks with them, and you should know that. We still have a wonderful friendship, and it's going strong. She finds out about them, she tells me, and I know. So...how is the boy doing?" His expression became dark, as he leaned in closer, to glare at Deadly.

"He's healthy. Your plan is failing, Eli. Now, leave, before I do you in like I've done to other nighttime intruders!" Deadly growled, as he moved closer to Eli. Eli stayed still until Deadly was only a couple of feet away from him. He lashed out and grabbed Deadly by his jacket's collar.

"You old fool of a dragon! Try anything to warn the boy, and I'll find your precious love, and I will MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SEE HER AGAIN! You will help me with the boy, and you will also make sure the boy's uncle is never able to pay me back. You understand? I want that boy!"

Deadly wrenched himself out from Eli's grip, and brushed his tattered jacket off. He huffed loudly, and glared at Eli, his golden yellow irises seeming to bore into Eli's red eyes. His left hand was crackling with blue energy.

"Leave my theatre now, you demon spawn from down below. Or I will send you home, dead." He gritted his teeth, and growled, lifting his left hand upwards, revealing the bright blue lightning in his palm; ready to strike if need be. "Leave now...or you will be DOOMED!"

Eli's eyes widened when he saw the old spook was serious. He pursed his lips together, and stood his ground. "Try me old friend." He stated, opening his arms outwards, daring Deadly to try his worst. Deadly ran forwards, and slammed his left hand into Eli's chest, igniting the evil man's clothing with a single flash of the deadly blue lightning. His jacket, and shirt were gone, revealing his bare chest within a single moment. Deadly charged again, driving the lightning even deeper.

Eli didn't feel the pain coursing through his body, he felt nothing. He laughed. He laughed a cruel, cold, chilling laugh. Picking up Uncle Deadly, he grinned wildly; staring right into his 'old friends' eyes, and he laughed once more.

"Do not think I will forget this. You had best watch your back, old spook. I will strike...when you least expect it." He laughed once more, and dissapeared in a puff of black wispy smoke. His body seemed to change, shifting into the black, formless smoke that had billowed around his body before. The formless smoke bolted out of the door quickly. Then the sound of a single pair of boots were heard, thudding down the street.

"HEY! Eli! Wait up for MEE!" Steve was heard yelling, as he ran after the spirited Eli.

Deadly stood still where he was. He saw the flamed shards of Eli's jacket and shirt, and he saw the hat and trenchcoat on the desk. He was a little worried. But...why should he worry? He was already dead...and he figured although Eli was evil...he couldn't hurt them anymore then had tried with him. He worried for Eleanor, and what Eli would be capable of doing. His heart yearned for her, but what could he do?

Walking slowly, he picked up his book once more. Then he walked out to the empty stage and smiled softly. He saw the small spotlight on the stage, and walked out to it. He wondered why they left a light on so late at night. But it wasn't a stage light at all.

It was the moon, casting it's beloved moonlight on the stage, he loved it; and he loved the eerie glow it cast all about the stage, on that lonely night of nights. He kneeled on the stage, and imagined his beloved, Eleanor standing in front of him, as they were...so many years ago on that very same stage.

The End.


End file.
